Ginger, we are in the middle of losing day sleeps. He has had about 2 in the last few weeks. Sometimes he will crash in the afternoon but if I let him stay asleep then we can't get him to bed/wakes up all night so I let him have a 20-30 minute refresher nap and then wake him up.
MP, yay for giggles. I can't wait! So far we are getting some baby talk and a few smiles.
Ange, hope the gastro is shortlived. At least your bro has been diagnosed. Hopefully the meds work for him.
Cally, lol at getting wee-ed on, yay for black pants!. What happens if she doesn't have the nap? Is it a complete train wreak? Sounds frustrating.
The weather has been wet for the last couple of weeks and we have watched the movie Cars many many times now. W tells me what is about to happen, what is happening and then what just happened lol. He also plays out scenes with his matchbox cars and if the cars need new tyres he gets the forklift to do it. Very cute.
Amelia is doing well. She is up just over a kg on her birthweight. She gave the midwifes a rolling demo the other day and they agreed there wouldn't be any tummy time for her.
hi everyone,
sorry super quickie -
Ginger - Hannah is being a little trying at sleep time too. she didn't have one today - kept coming out of her room (she can open the door) So in the end I just gave up. She would have gone to sleep too late and been up till late tonight.
I'm thinking i need to get her more active in the mornings though. Today she didn't do too much, which may have contributed.
bbl- dh just arrived home and i haven't cooked dinner yet!!!!
hi girls
Sarah still has a day sleep around the 2 hour mark. She goes to bed at 7pm (give or take) and then is awake at 5.30 every morning. I agree with just popping a movie on and having quiet time, sometimes thats enough to recharge them or let him drift off.
hi to everyone else
PS is anyone else loving the pics of Zoe!!! What a cutie!
G: oohh no day sleep is HARD. for the most part Leila still sleeps 2ish hours an afternoon...but there are the odd days where she flat out refuses despite my best efforts to convince her. if she is happily chatting away to herself i let her be, or if she is upset or just not timing out, i take her out and usually i pop on a DVD. this way she snuggles into her blankie and zones out for 20 minutes or so and i find that although not perfect in keeping her from exhaustion it kinda gives her enough energy to last until after dinner and a slightly earlier bed time (even in 10 minutes earlier).
Ange: our visas in Fiji arrived hmmmm about 6 months after we arrived there LOL! So i can totally relate to the slowness! bummer about the gastro (pardon the pun LOL!) hopefully it will pass soon...
Cally: does K like swimming? it is so cold in the changerooms at our pool. i am always nervous to go in winter for that very reason....wish we had a fully heated pool environment LOL! although the hot showers are always nice.
Arte: leila is like that with her VIPO dvd. she has imaginary conversations with vipo and his mates...and she 'draws' his picture all the time lol!
MD: we have the broadway show here too! it has been happening the last few nights....hmmmmm.....i sooo know that our girls are going to know eachother IRL in the future LOL!
AFM: one more sleep til we get on a jet plane...well, that is if i can carry all our bags in time to catch the bloody thing LOL! DH 'disappeared' this morning and left me with leila, his unmedicated biplor brother who was having a manic moment and bought all of the COOP (a local supermarket) and was cooking a bazillion dishes (while telling me that he is worried that i am poisoning and condeming leila to a life of obesity by feeding her peanut butter), meanwhile i had to pack ALL OF OUR BAGS and wrestle with a bored and tired Leila...not happy jan. cant wait to be home LOL!
had one last shopping spree for leila which was lovely...lots of Zara Baby and i even bought myself a top! so quite awesome.
Clare, wishing you the best of luck for the flight. Hopefully all the holiday action will catch up with L and she will sleep for at least a decent chunk of it. LOL at poisoning L with peanut butter! I hope your BIL is a good cook.
MD, ok, so I have finally had a chance to look at some Montessori stuff and I can't for the life of me figure out what is different to normal school! Perhaps NZ just has a Montessori based philosophy? All early childhood teaching is child-initiated learning, the children are taught about things as they come across them while having free rein play. There is very little structured activity in early childhood, which parents complain about as the kids don't know what has hit them when they start school and suddenly have to do what the teacher tells them. I am really confused about it. Although I guess it is irrelevant because there is no Montessori schools around here anyway lol
Ginger, how's it going today, are you more on top of it all?
I want to apologise to Ange, sounds like you had a really rotten day yesterday and I didn't respond to your post at all. So pleased your bro is being assessed, hope they can help him. FYI there's a really good mental health organisation called Mind Australia who are active in Vic & they focus on a recovery framework (ie not just propping ppl up but teaching them how to live fulfilled lives despite their mental illness) - they have some great resources & can offer support and respite services to families as well. Worth contacting.
Arte - I think you're right, some of the montessori concepts have leaked over to early childhood learning in Australia, but I think montessori is more prescriptive when it comes to the particular learning materials used, and the way the teacher interacts with the child, and the way concepts are introduced and built on. It's not free-rein play at all. Have you read the Montessori method Wikipedia page? It gives a pretty detailed description.
Clare sorry I was LOLing about your DH's peanut butter rant - I guess it's a bit culturally offensive in a country like Italy? BTW I *love* PB but I have just discovered ABC spread - almonds, brazil nuts & cashews....mmmmmmm!
Cally I meant to say yesterday - woohoo on Mr Magnolia find - DD1 one loved it & borrowed it several times from the library.
MP might have to follow your lead and get some Moogoo for DD1 - she's very dry & rashy ATM.
Thanks MD- He's been admitted to a private psych hospital in melb. So hopefully he'll get the help he needs. It's been a pretty scary and awful few days. I'll look up mind Australia. Thanks.
Arte - we aren't sure what happens if K doesn't have a day sleep as we actually haven't had a day like that yet, which is one of the reasons I don't believe she is ready to drop her sleep.
Clare - super good luck for the trip home!! K absolutely loves swimming. I wish we had an indoor pool near us that was closer than 45 minutes away.
MP - I got a mini magna doodle from Toys R Us at Brand Depot today (near the playdoh) and it was an absolute hit when I got home so I am hoping that is a great hit in the car tomorrow.
Ginger - K sleeps from 8 to 6 or 6:30 each night and day sleeps range from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours.
Picked up K's new toddler bed today. Can't wait to set that up, although we may have a bit of trouble getting it into the car with everything else so it might have to wait a little bit untili M&D come down next.
Also got K a Mr Potato Head (80th anniversary edition) today for Christmas - $40 at Target, but it was $60 at Toys R Us - and it wasn't on sale either. Ridiculous!
hello hello hello, hopefully you all remember me?? LOL sorry as you can imagine life has been busy here. I have been trying to keep up but am failing miserably lol. Mum has gone home now and we have had our first lot of visitors. Tomorrow is our first day alone as family of 4, just one more week and then DH has 2 weeks off, I cant wait. I am absolutely in love with little Z and just cant get enough of her, she is feeding so well which is such a huge relief after the tough start I had with L. L is so great with her, he kisses her all the time and loves to sit and have a cuddle before going off to play. He seems to have grown so much and put on 50kg's lol. I changed his nappy the other day and he just seemed to big to be wearing nappies. His speech is getting clearer and clearer too, such a little boy now.
Anyway sorry for the me post. I hope that everyone is well and that I haven't missed something super important.
They do seem like they age 5 years overnight don't they? It's so great to hear that things are all going well for you. She is just the cutest thing!
Sorry for being so slack lately. Its just one of those weeks again. School goes back tomorrow though thankfully! Everyone is just about at the end of their tether and the kids are quite tetchy. Erin had a lovely day out for her birthday and was super impressed with her iPod we gave her - just a little 1gb shuffle and I had to get Paige one because she's wanted one for ages and wanted to spend her birthday money on one only I never got round to it but our local harvey norman had them for only $49 to get rid of them as the new ones are out now.
Where is everyone this weekend? Don't tell me I am the only one with no life hanging around the house!
Oz, Zoe looks adorably perfect!
Trill, I can imagine it must be lovely for school to go back lol
Ginger, hope everything is going o.k for you.
MD, I read the other thread somewhere about your lump scare I can't imagine how scary that must have been for you.
Nothing much happening here, weather still to wet to go outside so a boring but quite relaxing weekend. DH entertained W this morning so I got a much needed sleep in.
Arte, that's us most weekends - went out to a movie last Sat night with DH (ILs watched the DDs for us) - and I was ASTONISHED to see that other people are actually out and about after dark on the weekend . YAY for your sleep in, I'm in sore need of a sleepin after my big weekend of going out both days! Thanks for the hug, yep it was pretty scary but on the upside I'm feeling a bit more motivated now to get the breast off once and for all.
Trill well done with the ipods, DD has a generic brand MP3 player and loves it, so handy. Yay for school going back.
Katie - Z is absolutely gorgeous, so pleased to hear she is feeding well too. I bet L seems really big next to L, hard to think he was teeny like that not so long ago isn't it.
Cally I keep making a mental note about the magna doodle (since someone mentioned them a few weeks ago, renee??) but keep forgetting every time I"m at the shops. Mr PH will be heaps of fun, but I bet he gets played with by all the adults as well - compulsively fiddleable.
Ange, how's your bro going, hopefully starting to stabilise asap.
Clare, I think you must be home safe & with the long flight behind you now, hope you're not too hungover um no not that jet-thingied ah where's my brain ....jet-lagged (that's it)!
AFM went to a meet up with a heap of ladies from a funky boobie forum yesterday - ah so glad i did, so many inspiring and energised women getting on with their lives. So good for my soul to meet them. Then today we went to a christening up in the barossa, had lunch etc gazing out over acres of vines - just gorgeous. However, DH packed DD's bag this am so we turned up hatless () so I *tried* to keep her in the shade but I'm ashamed to say she's a bit pink tonight.
MD it was I who mentioned the mini magnadoodle, we went to see Jays cousins who are on holidays up here over the weekend and their girls had one which they gave me. L loves it. Sounds like you had a lovely weekend.
Arte I am jealous of the sleep in, mind you after all the long nights you have had with W over time you most definitely deserve a sleep in or two. How does A sleep??
Trill good work on the Ipods, I was cracking up at your status on FB. I used to sing loudly to my discman and mum would be cracking up.
Not much happening here. Little miss is laying on daddy snoring away.... very cute.
Oz: Zoe is just the most cherubic gorgeous little thing...love the snoring on papa's chest...mwahh...cluck cluck cluck LOL!
Leila is also a MEGA fan of the magna doodle...we also have a bag clip on that is extra small and leila reckons that it is just perfect for jotting notes down on
MD: wowsers woman, you do get out and about. mmmmm barossa....mmmmmm...so THAT's the real reason why you moved back to SA!!!!
So totally chuffed that the forum went well and provided a supportive and inspiring place for everyone, awesome when that gelling of souls just happens aint it?1
Arte: oh dear, the weather is rather persistent your way...
Sherie: oohhh of course, school holidays! i did forget...
great stuff on Erin loving the party. birthday parties are so special for ppl. my aunt never believed in having birthdays (or even acknowleging them), so it was a big shock when i lived there for a year and didnt have one. made me realise (even as a 9 year old!) how important they are for kids to feel loved ITMS.
Cally: sounds like you guys have been busy the last few days. when does the toddler bed come home?? we are thinking of converting leila's cot after the move next week...oooh i hope it works ok...
Ange: man, i totally missed the part in your post about your brother. it is so so scary when it happens. i had it with my mum a few times and you feel powerless and terrified all at the same time. i am really sorry that he is going through something so hard, but hopefully this break at the unit will give him the much needed rest and recuperation and therapy etc to get him back on track and outta the fog. xx
AFM: well we made it. only just. seriously. at one point i was tempted to lay myself under the tires of one of the many planes at Dubai airport...wish i was joking LOL! for the most part the travel was in fact rather cruisy. leila is amazing on the plane and did really really well for such a little girl. we used the carseat for the whole waaay back to OZ (made a complaint to emirates about the hostess refusing to let us use the carseat between Dubai and italy...and whammo they made sure that the return it was smooth sailing). the problem on the way back was that we had a 12 hour layover in Dubai in the middle of the night. which, although crapulent, didnt really bother me too much as i *thought* we would just truck through it best we can (we had the pram etc for leila to sleep in too). BUT, i forgot that Dubai airport has been extended and part of the new development was to forgo the 'rest areas' to put in more shops. this also includes some nice coffee joints etc, but without the rest area we had nowhere to hide away from the scores of people (dubai is a 24/7 city and so is the airport...unlike most airports it actually never has a shutdown period). it was at this point that a memory was jogged...leila CANNOT stand being in an enclosed environment with many many people around. she goes a wee bit barmy. (DH and i reckon that she might actually have some kind of manifestation of claustrophobia...mum also noticed it when we went to a shopping centre a year ago). SOOOO for the first 2 hours solid Leila screamed. i mean, SCREAMED. to the point where ppl were coming up and offering her stuffed teddies (which were THROWN in their faces...we now have 6 new teddy bears...no joke). and a thing i didnt realise is that culturally, children are never to be scorned at....so this was difficult when leila was being unmanageable and i was expected to allow her to smash to smithereans shelves in shops or bash random ppl. ANYWAY, after 2ish hours i *kinda* lost it. left DH in the middle of the airport, put leila in the pram (now that was rather tricky when a 2 year old has the strength of a wild horse) and just walked off. about an hour and a half later i came back...leila still screaming. obviously my walking off had some impact on DH as he told me he booked us into the airport hotel. part of me was relieved, but the other part totally panicked as this place is MEGA expensive and you pay in 6 hourly slots (like $500). but he did it, and it really did save us from divorce LOL! not to say that Leila stopped screaming, but at least we were away from the crowds and could have a shower. in the end Leila tantrumed for a total of 6-7 hours solid. mind bending stuff, but i gotta love her commitment.
...sorry that raged outta control, but oh deary me, it was tough. the rest of the trip back (like another 15 hours on the plane) went without incident. she didnt cry once and had a ball bribing chocolates off the attendents
My goodness Clare, you just turned me off any long distance travel for the next ten years lol. And OMG at $500 for 6 hours of hotel - I would expect it to come with a prostitute or two for that amount!
OH Clare, you survived (*gives high 5*) - after the 2nd hour of solid tantrums I kinda go into a state of shock (some sort of biochemical brain reaction I think) so I don't know how you got through that. Thank goodness for the overpriced hotel. How long now until you move...is it this weekend?
Arte: ROFL!!! well, no prostitutes, but it did come with some pretty swish bathrobes...that you can take home...the slippers i left behind...oh and they had all the goodies like the bath soaps and shaving, toothbrush, face creams etc that also all came home LOL! Dubai is one of those cities that is built on the notion that money gets you everywhere and everything. it is kinda gross like that.
MD: i still am not sure if i actually survived the screaming LOL! still feel rather rattled and my confidence in believing in my ability to be a good mother is also shaken. but yes, that hotel did save us. probably the best 500 i will ever spend LOL!
we get to move into our home Tuesday week...so like 8 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clare it's got nothing to do with your ability to be a good mother - because we know you are - it was about the extreme circumstance you found yourselves in, and which are not likely to reoccur. BTW my DH stayed in a hotel in Dubai (at comm'th expense ) and told me the bathroom was wall to wall marble AND bigger than our lougeroom.
2013 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.
So pleased your bro is being assessed, hope they can help him. FYI there's a really good mental health organisation called Mind Australia who are active in Vic & they focus on a recovery framework (ie not just propping ppl up but teaching them how to live fulfilled lives despite their mental illness) - they have some great resources & can offer support and respite services to families as well. Worth contacting.
. YAY for your sleep in, I'm in sore need of a sleepin after my big weekend of going out both days! Thanks for the hug, yep it was pretty scary but on the upside I'm feeling a bit more motivated now to get the breast off once and for all.
I bet L seems really big next to L, hard to think he was teeny like that not so long ago isn't it.
) so I *tried* to keep her in the shade but I'm ashamed to say she's a bit pink tonight.
) and told me the bathroom was wall to wall marble AND bigger than our lougeroom.
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